Package for surgical gloves



May 4, 1965 M. TATERKA ETAL PACKAGE FOR SURGICAL GLOVES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 17, 1965 y 1965 M. TATERKA ETAL. 3,181,695

PACKAGE FOR SURGICAL GLOVES Filed Oct. 17, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 5,

INVENTORS fil/C/MH TAU/WM 5/7/4177 1 lIfl/i'f ZfM z 5M United States Patent Ofilice 3,181,695 Patented May 4, 1965 3,181,695 PACKAGE FOR SURGICAL GLOVES Michael Taterka, Glendale, and Stuart M. White, La Canada, Califi, assignors to Pharmaseal Laboratories, Glendale, (Ialifi, a corporation of California Filed Oct. 17, 1963, Ser. No. 316,859 9 Claims. (Cl. 206-631) The present invention relates to a package for storing and shipping sterile surgical gloves, and particularly to an improved, inexpensive, easy-to-open pack-age.

In hospital use, surgical gloves are often ordered in large quantities and stored until needed. If these gloves are sterilized by the manufacturer, the package must allow entry of sterilizing gases, must maintain the sterility of the gloves and must also be easy to open without contaminating the gloves. Glove packages which require a complicated opening procedure, enhance the danger of contamination because a slight variation in procedure, as by an inexperienced person, can cause accidental contamination. The present invention provides a glove package that can be opened simply and easily to expose a pair of sterile gloves lying on a sterile field.

Another consideration in sterile glove packages is the bulk of the glove folder. Bulky, irregularly shaped folders require large storage space and are ditlicult to place in a sterile outer wrap or envelope. If the glove folder has a tendency to spring open, it will exert internal pressure on the outer wrap or envelope in which the folder is contained. This tends to cause a break in the outer wrap, thereby destroying the sterility of the gloves. One of the features of our glove folder is that it will lie flat within the outer envelope and exert a minimum of internal pressure thereon.

In addition to being easy to open without contamination and lying flat within an outer envelope, the present glove folder can be easily stamped from a long rectangular blank or a roll of cardboard or like material. The general shape of the punched blank for the folder is rectangular with a negligible amount of scrap resulting from the punching operation. This scrap is easily removed, as compared to the laborious removal of scrap from the interwinding passages of previous irregularly shaped glove folder blanks.

It is an object of this invention to provide a simple glove package that is easy to open without contaminating the gloves.

Another object of this invention is to provide a surgical glove package that is neat, compact, and thin.

Another object of this invention is to provide a surgical glove package including a glove folder that can be opened without contaminating the gloves.

Another object of this invention is to provide an inexpensive glove folder which can be formed with a negligible amount of scrap, said scrap being easily removable.

Other objects will become apparent upon description of the glove packages of which the following are illustrations.

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the glove package showing the glove folder in dotted lines within a peelapart, outer envelope;

FIGURE 2a is a perspective view of the glove folder after it has been removed from the peel-apart envelope;

FIGURE 2b is a perspective view of the glove folder being opened, the arows indicating the location where a slight force is applied to cause the end flaps to snap open;

FIGURE 20 is a perspective view of the glove folder after the end flaps have snapped open; FIGURE 2a is a perspective view of the glove folder after it has been completely opened to provide a sterile field on which the gloves are positioned for ready removal;

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of the cardboard blank of the glove folder;

FIGURE 4 is a top plan view of the left half of the blank shown in FIGURE 3 but with the end flaps folded in; and

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of a section taken along line 55 of FIGURE 2a, clearly showing the preferred embodiment of the glove folder in which the folder will lie fiat.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, a sterile glove package is shown which includes a glove folder 1 containing a pair of surgical gloves, said glove folder being encased in a peel-apart, outer envelope 2. Outer envelope 2 has a pull apart seal 3 around its periphery and pull tabs 4 to open this seal progressively from the tab end. Such envelopes are customarily made from two opposed layers of paper, one of which is coated with polyethylene or similar heat scalable thermoplastic. Glassine, cellophane, Mylar, or other similar materials may be used if transparency is desired. At best, the layers are preferably permeable to sterilizing gases but not to bacteria. The package is thus adapted to be presterilized by the manufacturer and to be stored and shipped to the hospital without losing the sterility of the contents.

To open the glove package of FIGURE 1, the pull tabs 4 are grasped and pulled apart, thereby peeling back the envelope 2. This allows the glove folder 1 shown in FIG- URE 2a to be dropped out of envelope 2 onto a sterile surface, as for use in surgery. Glove folder 1 is conveniently made of cardboard or other thin sheet material of similar stiffness. It resembles a book with front and back covers and a binding along the left side of FIGURE 2a, and when closed firmly holds the gloves to prevent them from moving in the package. As can be seen, the glove folder 1 is oriented when it is removed from the peel-open envelope; i.e., the top of glove folder 1 nearest the pull tabs 4 always contains the top or fingertip portion of the gloves. With the bottom of the glove folder 1 nearest the person opening the folder, as shown in FIGURE 2a, the left glove receptacle 5 will always open to the left and the right glove receptacle 6 will always open to the right. This orientation of the glove package will prevent confusion and avoid contamination because the gloves will always be in the same position when the glove folder is opened.

In FIGURE 2b, the glove folder is shown partially open. Glove folder 1 has two side flaps 7 connected to a centrally folded floor member 19, said floor member being hidden from view in this figure. Each side flap 7 has a tab 9. Overlapping each side flap 7 is an'end flap 8, each of which is connected to one of the opposed ends of floor member 19. A center fold line 10 extends across the floor member 19 and end flaps 8 from one end of the folder to the other, and it is about this line 10 that the folder folds into the book-like configuration of FIGURE 20.

As shown in FIGURE 2b, the glove folder is not completely open and does not lie flat against the table. If slight forces 11 are applied downwardly as indicated by the arrows, the glove package will be pressed more flatly against the table and end flaps 8 will snap up as shown in FIGURE 2c. The reason for end flaps 8 snapping up as a result of forces 11 involves the angular relationship of the end flaps 8 to floor member 19, and will be explained in more detail subsequently.

Once the end'flaps 8 have been snapped open as shown in FIGURE 20, they are pulled back to expose the side flaps 7, which are then opened by pulling upward and outward on tabs 9. The procedure for opening the glove folder is quite simple and avoids having to touch anything close to the sterile surfaces of gloves 12. The only parts of the glove folder touched in the. procedure of opening the flaps are: (1) side flaps7 in the vicinity of opening force 11, (2) snapped up end flaps 8 near one edge, and (3) tabs 9 of side flaps 7. a

FIGURE 2d shows the completely opened glove folder and the diamond-shaped sterile field it provides for gloves 12. The glove folder is comprised of a generally rectan:

gular floor member 19 bounded'by-end fold lines 13 and" 7 13a, and side fold lines14. These fold lines are preferably weakened as by perforations or deep scoring .to

facilitate folding along said lines. Fold-ably connected to each end of floor member 19 are end flaps 8 with their flattened tip section 17. Flattened tip sections 17 prevent end flaps 8 from overlapping each other when the folder is closed. Side flaps 7 are foldablyconnected to each side of floor member'19 along perforated side lines 14. Sidefiaps 7 include a weakened tab line 16 which provides the fold line forming side. flap tabs 9. Near each corner of floor member 19 is a V-notch 18 which allows the side and end flaps to overlap as shown by the The gloves 12 shown in'FIGUREQZd are properlyoriented with "the right glove, palm up, lying to the right of center line 10, and similarly, with the left glove palm up, lying to the left of center line 10. The surgeon can'sirnply don the gloves by grasping each glove by its, upturned cutfand pulling it onto. his hand. It should be pointed Referring now to FIGURE 4, a glove folder is shown which is equivalent to the left half of the folder of FIG- URE'3 when said folder has been out along the center fold line 10. It should be noted that as end flap 8 is bent down over the respective floor member 19, it bends around the end fold line 13, which meets the fold line 10 in a slightly obtuse angle. This causes the portion 10a of center line. 10 which lies in end flap 8 to assume a position disposed slightly to the left of the portion 10b of center line 10 which passes through floorfmember 19.

Obviously, if ,the'right half of the glove folder was still attached to the left half shown in FIGURE 4, the end flap portion 10:: of center line 10 could not move to the left of center line portion 10b. This would create a tension in the folded end flap .8 which would tend to pull the left hand side of floor member 19 up into a more folded position relative to the opposite side of floor member 19. Conversely, downward pressure, on. a left half of floor member 19 would cause tension across the. end flap 9. 'Thisresults in an upward movement of the end flap. 8 inorder to relieve'said tension. V

Referring now to FIGURES, a further feature of our glove folder will be noted, in that the angular relationship of end fold lines 13 and. 13a allows the folder to fold into a'mueh flatter unit thanwould. otherwise be possible.

,For'example, if end fold lines '13 and" 13a are super.-

, impose itself on the floor member portion 10b of the fold out that from the opening of peel-open envelope 2 'until the gloves 12 are put on, there is little chance of touching the outer surface of these gloves to contaminate them;

for the glove folder showing the angular relationship of perforated end lines13 and 134. At each end of floor member 19, end fold lines 13 and 13a meet to form a large obtuse anglewith its apex 21. located on center fold line 10. Reference line intersects center fold line 10 at point 21 and is perpendicular to-center "fold line '10 This reference line 20 does not appear as a line'on the stamped glove folder but is shown in the drawing merely 1 to show the angularity of end fold lines 13 and 13. The

respective angles between center line'10. and'end lines 13 and 13a (angles a and a as shown in FIGURE 3'); are less than 90. They can be from 60 to 89 /29, but are preferably between "87 and 895/2". With angle'a in this preferred range, the complementary angle b between end fold line .113 and the perpendicular reference line '20,- is between /z and 3.

would be from 174 to 179; 1 v

The angular relationship of end fold'lines 13 and 13a accounts for two features.

2b, and the ability of the folder to lie fiatrwhen folded closed. These features are both: due to the angular rel tionship, butwill clarity. I a q z a,

As previously described, the end flaps 8 snap open when Likewise, the large obtuse angle 7 formed by the intersection; .of' endfold lines 13 and, 13a

a These are the. snap open effect when theforce 11 isapplied' as shown in FIGURE;

line, and to occupy the same space." V q On the other hand, the angularrelation of end fold 'lines 13 and 13a .causesJthe glove folder t-o.close asshown FIGURE, 3 is a top plan view of .the punched, blank in FIGURES. Here the end-flap portion 10a1of the fold line has moved away from the floor member portion 10b of, the foldline, and is spaced therefrom. This prevents binding-of the end flap portion 10a of the fold line against the; floor member portion 10b and; allows a flat foldto occur along fo'ld line 10. This gives a glove folder of improved appearance and less bulk-iness, and minimizes the internalpressure exerted by the, folder: onthe peel spirit and scope of our invention. 'For example, much of 'the'specification has been, devoted to the angular relationship' of end fold lines 13 and 13a, because of the surprising and greatly improved performance resulting therefrom, and, the complexity of the way in which the angular relationship works. However, it will be obvi- .ous'to-those skilledin the art that anirnproved. glove be describedsepar'ately tonne sake of a force'll isjappliedto each side of the glove 'folderfto force the open folder into aflat of -nearly fiat position, as

shown in'FIGURE 2c. Theexact reason for thisi' snap open effect is not completely understood. However,,the'

following explanation should be helpful in understanding" the action of theglovefolder, even :though' the-explain tion is somewhat theoretical and I V niay later proveit" be partially incomplete or incorrect 1 Referring now to FIGURE 3, itsh ould benotedthat: the center fold line 10 is 'a'straight line extending from fold lincs13 an'd 13awould be 180". While such a glove fold er would not have the snap open feature, it would still have many advantages over those now available. For

example, such' afolder can be stamped-from along r'ec-v 'tang'ular blank'of cardboard, or from a. roll of cardboard with. a minimum of scrap. This scrap. occurs only at -theV-notches-13 and flattened tip sections 17'of'the, end

flaps 8. Suchscrap is almost negligible, and islocated entirelyon' theperipheriy of the folder'blank where it can be easily removed. Also th'e glove; folder is'easily folded mm its final ,shape by machinegfandsuch machines can be incorporated into a, productioniline soiithat the gloves ai'.e placedinto thepackage as it'is formed.

"Other advantages which 'accruefrom; a glove folder,

7 without the angular relationship 'of .end' fold lines 13 and the tip 17 of the'lower end flap 8 through the floor'meni- 7 her '19 and the upper end flap- 8. As theen'dflaps 8 are'. folded intothefolder, t-he respective flaps 8' fold around;

the perforated end. line -13and13 z. L

13a, include..an*improved ,protectionof the gloves and 'fa morefirm holding ofth'e gloves injplacet' T Obviously, it' is importanttoholdxthe gloves in'place so-that the length of thecniffs cannot change andfso that the powderion the inside surface of the glove will not be dislodged. Our package is easily used because the side and end flaps lie back and remain open, rather than flipping up and getting in the way or becoming contaminated. This is extremely important in surgery where it is essential not to touch the package after gloving or partially gloving. Our package also prvides easy access for sterilizing gases such as ethylene oxide. Many of the prior art packages are suitable only for steam sterilization, the heat of which tends to deteriorate rubber gloves and render plastic gloves completely unusable.

We claim:

1. A folder for surgical gloves comprising:

(a) a generally rectangular floor member,

(b) a triangular side flap foldably connected along one side of said side flap to each side of said rectangular floor member,

(c) a generally triangular end flap foldably connected to each end of said floor member along a joining fold, said joining fold between each of said end flaps and said floor member being formed by two straight fold portions intersecting at an obtuse angle less than 180 facing outwardly away from the center of said floor member, and

(d) a center fold line intersecting the apex of the obtuse angles at each end of said floor member, and extending through said floor member and said end flaps, said center fold line and the obtuse angle of the fold portions causing the glove folder to lie flat along said center fold line and causing said end flaps to snap open upon opening said glove folder.

2. A folder for surgical gloves as set forth in claim 1 wherein the perimeter of said glove folder has an inwardly directed V-notch midway along each side of said folder, said V-notches causing said end and side triangular flaps to overlap each other when said flaps are folded over said rectangular floor member.

3. A folder for surgical gloves as set forth in claim 1 wherein said obtuse angle is between 120 and 179.

4. A package for surgical gloves wherein the glove folder as set forth in claim 1 is sealed within a peel apart outer envelope.

5. A folder for surgical gloves as set forth in claim 1 wherein each triangular side flap has a weakened fold line providing a turned up pull tab opposite the side of said side flap connected to said floor member.

6. A folder for surgical gloves comprising:

(a) a generally rectangular floor member having top and bottom edges, said edges being slightly undercut to form a large, centrally located, obtuse angle of from 120 to 179, said obtuse angle facing outwardly and having an apex positioned at the center of each of said ends of said floor member,

(b) a triangularly shaped end flap foldably connected to each end of said fioor member, the side of each of said end flaps joining the floor member having a large obtuse angle corresponding to said obtuse angle of said floor member,

(c) a center fold line extending across said floor member and each of said end flaps, said folder being adapted to fold along said center fold line into a book-like package with a separate receptacle for each glove of a pair of gloves and to snap open said end flaps as the book-like package opens, and

(d) triangularly shaped side flaps foldably connected to the sides of said floor member.

7. A folder for surgical gloves as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of the two triangulary shaped end flaps has a flattened end portion across the corner opposite its (1) a generally rectangular floor member,

(2) a triangular end flap foldably connected to each end of said floor member along a fold line, two portions of said fold line meeting to form an obtuse angle less than facing outwardly from said floor member,

(3) a triangular side flap foldably connected to each side of said floor member,

(4) a center fold line lying along a diagonal of said folder and extending through the center of said floor member and said end flaps, said folder being adapted to receive a single glove on each side of said center fold line within a receptacle formed by a portion of each of the end flaps, a said flap and a portion of said floor member, said folder being foldable about said center fold line into a folder having one half the width of said floor member and adapted to snap open the end flaps as the folder unfolds about said center fold line,

(b) a single glove of a pair of surgical gloves in each receptacle of said folder, and

(c) a peel-open envelope encasing said folder and said gloves, said envelope being pervious to sterilizing gases but impervious to bacteria.

9. A package for sterile, surgical gloves comprising:

(a) a sealed outer envelope;

(b) a folder within said envelope, said folder opening into a thin, flat sheet having a generally rectangular shape with four corners and four peripheral edges, and including;

( 1) a generally rectangular floor member positioned diagonally within the generally rectangular fiat sheet, said floor member having four corners, two opposed end edges, and two opposed side edges, the corners of said floor member being positioned substantially adjacent the middle of but spaced inwardly from the peripheral edges of the fiat sheet;

(2) generally V-shaped notches near the middle of each of the peripheral side and end edges of the flat sheet, said notches extending inwardly from said edges to the respective corners of the floor members;

(3) generally triangular side flaps, each having an apex and a base, said base being attached along a weakened fold line to the respective side edge of the floor member;

(4) a weakened fold line transversely across the apex of each of said side flaps to provide a triangularly shaped projecting tab thereon;

(5 two generally triangular shaped end flaps, each having an apex and a base, said base being attached to each of the end edges of the floor member along a weakened fold line, two portions of which meet to form an obtuse angle less than 180, whereby when the side and end flaps are folded inwardly the end flaps overlap the side flaps to provide two separate and completely closed glove receiving chambers; and

(6) a weakened fold line extending lengthwise through the center of the floor member and the center of the end flaps along a diagonal of the rectangular folder to the apex of each of said end flaps, whereby when the two glove receiving chambers are folded toward each other along the central fold line a book-shaped receiving folder is formed which folder snaps open said end flaps as it unfolds about this weakened fold line through the center of the floor member; and

(c) a sterile surgical glove held securely in each of said glove receiving chambers.

(References on following page) 

9. A PACKAGE FOR STERILE, SURGICAL GLOVES COMPRISING: (A) A SEALED OUTER ENVELOPE; (B) A FOLDER WITHIN SAID ENVELOPE, SAID FOLDER OPENING INTO A THIN, FLAT SHEET HAVING A GENERALLY RECTANGULAR SHAPE WITH FOUR CORNERS AND FOUR PERIPHERAL EDGES, AND INCLUDING; (1) A GENERALLY RECTANGULAR FLOOR MEMBER POSITIONED DIAGONALLY WITHIN THE GENERALLY RECTANGULAR FLAT SHEET, SAID FLOOR MEMBER HAVING FOUR CORNERS, TWO OPPOSED END EDGES, AND TWO OPPOSED SIDE EDGES, THE CORNERS OF SAID FLOOR MEMBER BEING POSITIONED SUBSTANTIALLY ADJACENT THE MIDDLE OF BUT SPACED INWARDLY FROM THE PERIPHERAL EDGES OF THE FLAT SHEET; (2) GENERALLY V-SHAPED NOTCHES NEAR THE MIDDLE OF EACH OF THE PERIPHERAL SIDE AND END EDGES OF THE FLAT SHEET, SAID NOTCHES EXTENDING INWARDLY FROM SAID EDGES TO THE RESPECTIVE CORNERS OF THE FLOOR MEMBERS; (3) A WEAKENED FOLD LINE TRANSVERSELY ACROSS THE APEX AND A BASE, SAID BASE BEING ATTACHED ALONG A WEAKENED FOLD LINE TO THE RESPECTIVE SIDE EDGE OF THE FLOOR MEMBER; (4) A WEAKENED FOLD LINE TRANSVERSELY ACROSS THE APEX OF EACH OF SAID SIDE FLAPS TO PROVIDE A TRIANGULARLY SHAPED PROJECTING TAB THEREON; (5) TWO GENERALLY TRIANGULAR SHAPED END FLAPS, EACH HAVING AN APEX AND A BASE, SAID BASE BEING ATTACHED TO EACH OF THE END EDGES OF THE FLOOR MEMBER ALONG A WEAKENED FOLE LINE, TWO PORTIONS OF WHICH MEET TO FORM AN OBTUSE ANGLE LESS THAN 180*, WHEREBY WHEN THE SIDE SAND END FLAPS ARE FOLDED INWARDLY THE END FLAPS OVERLAP THE SIDE FLAPS TO PROVIDE TWO SEPARATE AND COMPLETELY CLOSED GLOVE RECEIVING CHAMBERS; AND (6) A WEAKENED FOLD LINE EXTENDING LENGTHWISE THROUGH THE CENTER OF THE FLOOR MEMBER AND THE CENTER OF THE END FLAPS ALONG A DIAGONAL OF THE RECTANGULAR FOLDER TO THE APEX OF EACH OF SAID END FLAPS, WHEREBY WHEN THE TWO GLOVE RECEIVING CHAMBERS ARE FOLDED TOWARD EACH OTHER ALONG THE CENTRAL FOLD LINE A BOOK-SHAPED RECEIVING FOLDER IS FORMED WHICH FOLDER SNAPS OPEN SAID END FLAPS AS IT UNFOLDS ABOUT THIS WEAKENED FOLD LINE THROUGH THE CENTER OF THE FLOOR MEMBER; AND (C) A STERILE SURGICAL GLOVE HELD SECURELY IN EACH OF SAID GLOVE RECEIVING CHAMBERS. 